Assumptions of the Disillusioned Patriarchal Figure: Act I Scene IV Close Reading of Shakespeare's King Lear

In the opening lines of Act 1, Scene 4, King Lear is no longer the sole sovereign power, having divided his kingdom between his two daughters Goneril and Regan in the earlier scenes. After this decision, from his own decree, Lear’s omnipotence has now become null and the former king is unable to envision his new position in the social order as the supreme ruler of the land. Deducing that the former sole king led his nation to prosperity as a powerful ruler for over half a century single-handedly, Lear believes that despite his transfer of sovereignty to his daughters, he still commands the title and rights of a monarch based on his legacy and history of defending and ruling a nation. King Lear cannot see the reality of his actions until his first confrontation with his daughter Goneril. Until this point in the play, his followers without question have patronized Lear’s perception of his identity. Disillusioned and befriended by his devoted followers, Lear still believes in his divine right and authority as the King. The fool is the only member of his remaining staff that questions the King, acting as his conscience, and defines for the king what makes a fool. When Goneril assumes her role as mother to the elderly Lear, and attempts to discipline and control her once powerful father, Lear slowly begins a descent into madness that ultimately leads towards his awakening of the reality of his true situation. Understanding Act 1 Scene 4 of King Lear increases the audience’s appreciation and awareness of this classic play.

The scene opens with the disguised Kent seeking employment in Lear’s administration. Kent, as a character, represents Lear’s expectations of his authority in the divided country. Kent’s devotion and duty to his King has remained obstinate, despite the transfer of power, and Kent recognizes Lear’s divine right as ruler, regardless to the fact that Lear has given away his title. The loyalty of Kent and the other knights reaffirm Lear’s status as the absolute symbol of authority. Kent confronts Lear and asks for a job, the former King then questions Kent “Do you know me” (1.4.13)? Flatteringly, Kent replies, “No, sir; but you have that in your countenance which I would fain call master” (1.4.22). Not only is Lear without a Kingdom of his own, his needs for new servants are minimal. Lear no longer has the worries and pressures of ruling a nation, or for that matter, protecting its shores. In reality, Lear does not have an administration, or an agenda, for his sovereign duties and responsibilities have been split and transferred to his daughters and their husbands. The emergence of Kent seeking employment to a former ruler deceives Lear into believing in his authority, yet he has none. In actuality, his siblings now wield the power and Lear can spend his remaining days pursuing any interests without a regime to support him.

Lear, his knights, and Kent are enjoying their stay with Goneril until she affirms her role in the new kingdom. Goneril arranges, with her obedient servant Oswald as her means, to belittle her father’s authority and treat the King as a mere equal. When Lear arrives at her court, he inquires Oswald as to his daughter’s whereabouts, which he merely replies, “So please you--” (l.4.32), and rudely ignores and passes the King. Lear expeditiously dispatches his knights in pursuit of Oswald and cannot understand “why came not the slave back to me when I called him” (l.4.36)? Lear does not realize the concept that he is no longer king and still demands the same privileges and respect thereof. The knights respond that their “Highness is not entertained with that/ ceremonious affection as you were wont” (l.4.39-40), and Lear begins to contemplate the actions of Oswald and “thou but rememberest me of mine own conception: / I have perceived a most faint neglect of late” (l.4.43-44). Lear assumes his divine right, a title held unto death, without contest or dispute. Even though he has divides his land, obligations, and wealth to his daughters; Lear wants the amenities of his former self without effort and work of being a sole leader. At the beginning of this scene, Lear still believes he is absolute, on the highest plateau on the social order, but slowly he understands his true situation and loss of power.

The function of the fool is to serve as the reality, or conscience, of Lear’s situation from his actions of diving up his throne and his country. The fool arrives after Kent trips Goneril’s servant Oswald. This action of loyalty from Kent further convinces Lear’s own fantasy of being a King without a land and without the obligations of his status. Understanding the King’s true predicament, the Fool attempts to reveal to the former ruler his true status on the royal heiarchry by offering his hat to Kent. “Let me hire him too: here’s my coxcomb, (l.4.58)” explains the fool. Playing along with the joke, the King overlooks the fool’s sarcastic remark and cordially receives the fool. Kent questions the fool’s curious statement and the fool replies, “Why, for taking one’s part that’s out of favor” (l.4.62). The fool is implying that Kent would be a fool to desire serving a person that has neither a kingdom nor a home. Only a fool, hence the offering of his hat to Kent, would serve a master without a land. Thus the fool, needing a fool, from his remarks of “let me hire him too, (l.4.58)” gives his hat and his offer of employment to Kent. Next, the fool summarizes the current events of Lear’s actions, recalling Act 1 Scene 1, to the disguised Kent. “Why, this fellow has banished two on’s daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will: if thou follow him thou must needs wear my coxcomb, (l.4.63-65)” exclaims the fool. According to the fool, Lear has alienated himself from his two daughters by giving away his sovereignty. No longer is King Lear the sole sovereign power and his daughters Goneril and Regan now wield the power. From this transfer of authority, the daughters are now alienated from their father because Lear given them the privilege of ruling. As for Cordelia, recalling from scene 1, act 1; her removal from Lear’s plan of dividing his kingdom to his daughters, and banishment to France was, in fact, “a blessing against his will” (l.4.64). With the uncertainty of a divided country, Cordelia has actually benefited from leaving the consequences of Lear’s actions. The fool then directs a question to Lear and states, “How now, uncle! Would I had two coxcombs and two daughters, (l.4.62)” he continues, “If I gave them all my living, I’d keep my coxcombs myself. There’s mine; beg another of thy daughters” (l.4.64-65). The fool is hinting to Lear that he too is a fool for giving his title away. As the fool compares his coxcomb as an object defining his authority, he gives his coxcomb to his two fictitious daughters and keeps one for himself. Lear’s authority has transferred to his daughters, so that, recalling from Act 1 scene, Lear can “unburdened crawl toward death” (l.1.78). Lear wants the accustomed treatment of his title, but is a fool for thinking this can actually take place. After this malicious attack on Lear from the fool, Lear warns, “Take heed, sirrah; the whip” (l.4.66). The fool talks to Lear on a level that is unmatched. In act 1 scene 1, Kent was banished when questioning the infallible King, but the fool can speak whatever is on his mind. Acknowledging this idea, the fool is, to an extent, Lear’s own embattled conscience. Unshaken, the fool compares the King’s denial of his true power as two dogs, one beaten, the other rewarded:
Truth’s a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out
When Lady the brach may stand by the fire and stink. (1.4.66-67)

The dog of truth is sent to his kennel and beaten, while flattery is welcomed to stand in front of a fire and stink. Lear has denied the consequences of his actions and welcomed the empty flattery of his two daughters. Lear has no understanding by giving away his kingdom and land that he has, in fact, “nothing.” The fool, in his usual unorthodox style, quotes lines, embedded with clichés, to prove his point:
Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest,
Set less than thou throwest;
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep in-a-door,
And thou shalt have more
Than two tens to a score. (1.4.71-80)

The fool is referring to the concept that “nothing” does not get anything in return. He further this idea as “then ‘tis like the breath of an unfee’d lawyer; you give me nothing for’t. Can you make no use of nothing, nuncle” (l.4.82)? The fool’s advice, although incoherent and genetic, is freely given, similar to a lawyer that gives free legal advice. Upon hearing this ramble, Lear exclaims, “Why no, boy; nothing can be made out of nothing” (l.4.83). Glancing at Kent, the fool replies, “Prithee, tell him, so much the rent of his land comes to: he will not believe a Fool” (l.4.84). The King, wanting something for nothing, cannot have his divine right because he has given it away. The word play on “nothing” is the King’s perceived divine right to rule despite his insistence of not having to do anything in return. Lear believes, despite his transfer of sovereignty to his daughters, that he still commands the title and rights of a monarch. The King’s divine right to rule is unto death, but along with privilege is obligation, and Lear still thinks he is absolute, with or without a Kingdom.

After the episode with the fool and his overt comments on Lear and his decisions, Goneril appears and attempts to control Lear. Arguing sympathy for Goneril, knowing her true intentions from Act 1 scene 3, which are belittling the king, are minimal and Critic Marianne Novy theorizes that Goneril is defying her patriarchal bound between daughters to father, females to males, when openly contesting her authority to Lear and breaking the social order during his stay in her kingdom. The patriarchal system recognizes the bound between children to parents. In addition, the father’s status on the social hierarchy is absolute, along with the obligations of females to their male counterparts. Females in the social order are expected to be subservient to the ruling males and obedient to men. Previously, Shakespeare explored the theme of a father’s tyrannical authority over their children in Midsummer Night’s Dream. The father Egeus and daughter Hermia, in a Midsummer Night’s Dream, disagree on suitable husband. Father Egeus fancies Demetrius and daughter Hermia loves Lysander. Ultimately Hermia challenges the authority of father to daughter. In King Lear, the same theory is investigated as Goneril breaks the social and patriarchal order with her flagrant disrespect and lack of fidelity towards her own father Lear. However, in the beginning of the play, Novy notices Goneril’s acceptance and manipulation of the social order by appeasing her father’s wishes with requested love proclamations, despite having none.

Many believe that Goneril’s concern for her father is self-serving, but under what obligation does she have to accommodate Lear’s men. Lear made no verbal contract as to the fate of his staff, hence his daughter Goneril is not bound to harbor them in her kingdom. Lear assumes his men will have adequate refuge and treatment as he himself would while visiting his former courts and does not assume that anybody would contest his divine right as king. When Lear brings in his unruly hundred knights, Goneril takes it upon herself to lecture the former king for the actions of his staff:
Here you do keep a hundred knights and squires;
Men so disordered, so deboshed, and bold,
That this our court, infected with their manners,
Shows like a riotous inn: (l.4.151-155)

The land now belongs to Goneril, not Lear. Furthermore, Goneril is now the one that protects and cares her father and cannot imagine his insistence of having such a large legion of followers. What practical need does an elderly King have for such a group? The whims of one man could not require such a large staff. Goneril surely believes that her duty outweighs the importance and needs of the former king Lear because she is now the ruler and not her father. Goneril views her place above her father in the social order and keeper of his fate. Lear becomes Goneril’s child, a reversal of roles between the daughter and the father, and must be dealt with and kept under constant supervision. Goneril questions her father’s large entourage as a meddling force into her own affairs and the agenda of a nation entrusted to her:
‘Tis politic and safe to let him keep
At point a hundred knights; yes, that on every dream,
Each buzz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard his dotage with their powers,
And hold our lives mercy. (1.4.241-245)

Goneril envisions her father as a child with an army as his muse. Without a kingdom to support, it is only a matter of time before Lear and his entourage gets into trouble. To keep her palace safe, Goneril asks Lear to “reduce the size of your retinue somewhat” (l.4.160) and the shocked Lear lashes out, “My troop are men of rare distinction, who know their duties, and are meticulous in living up to their honorable reputations” (l.4.176). For the first time, by even his own daughter, someone has challenged Lear’s authority. Lear, unable to comprehend and deal with the situation, curses his daughter:
Hear, Nature, hear! Dear goddess, hear!
Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!
Dry up in her the organs of increase,
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honor her! If she must teem,
Create her a child of spleen, that it may live
And be a thwart disnatured torment to her! (1.4.191-199)

In the middle of the confrontation between Lear and Goneril, Albany enters the room. The Duke of Albany is binary opposite and obstacle to the conspiring daughter of Lear, Goneril. Recognizing the divine right and the patriarchy that exists between rulers and their kingdoms, Albany wants no part of his wife’s insurrection. Albany is aware of the social order and appears loyal to Lear despite the actions of dividing his kingdom to his two daughters. The presence and significance of Albany in Act 1, Scene 4 is minor and only as a means to contrast his wife Goneril. Walking unaware into the standoff between Goneril and Lear, Lear asks Albany, “Is it your will” (l.4.170)? After Lear condemns Goneril and rides off with his knights, Goneril then criticizes her husband Albany’s unexpected loyalty and duty as “[t] his milky gentleness and course of yours/ though I condemn not, yet, under pardon, / you are much more attasked for want of wisdom/ than praised for harmful mildness” (1.4.262-265). Goneril, recognizing her new role as daughter to mother, cannot understand her husband’s deference to a self-demoted monarch. Lear has relinquished his Kingdom and status-of-power to his daughters and now Goneril wants to grasp even more power than Lear has graciously bestowed upon her for her own means, with or without her husband Albany. Unknown to the Duke, in future acts of the play; he will be a target of assassination to Goneril’s new love, Edmund.

Understanding Act 1 scene 4 of Shakespeare’s King Lear increases the audience’s appreciation and comprehension of Lear’s descent into madness and the acceptance of his actions of unsettling the natural order and the hierarchal social scale. Lear in Act 1 scene 4 begins to become aware of his actions by his daughter Goneril’s brash treatment. After his powerful denunciation of Goneril, Lear vows to travel to his other daughter, Regan, and yields similar results. Lear then goes into madness, rescued by his loyal followers, and his disowned daughter Cordelia comes to his aid. Lear then goes on a path to correct his actions and the play ends in the death of his entire family. Lear, at the end, learns the consequences of attempting to rule without a title and the authority of a ruler without a land. King Lear focuses on these themes and more that will surely be a subject of constant debate and reflection.